Charles Leclerc Declares 2026 F1 Will Make Overtaking a Nightmare

Charles Leclerc predicts that overtaking will be extremely difficult in the 2026 season because of the energy management in the cars.

Charles Leclerc Declares 2026 F1 Will Make Overtaking a Nightmare

Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)

Many drivers have raised far from ideal concerns about the 2026 F1 regulations and the potential of the cars. The likes of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen are utterly disappointed with the new regulations. Now, following the first pre-season test, Leclerc has opened up on how the new rules will make overtaking on track a nightmare for all drivers.

The 2026 regulations mean that the drivers will now have to focus more on energy management. Drivers will have to deploy more energy while trying to overtake on the straight sectors of a track. However, overusing energy will cause them to lose crucial speed on the subsequent corners. As such, Charles Leclerc reckons that the drivers will be too busy saving energy rather than overtaking on track.

Charles Leclerc brutally commented that he found it extremely difficult to pursue any overtakes on track following the pre-season test in Bahrain. Leclerc is now hoping that this situation improves with time and drivers learn better about how to manage their energy. Regardless, the Monegasque noted that overtaking would always come with a hefty price under the new regulations.

I find it at the moment extremely difficult to get any overtakes, But it might improve with time in how we manage these kind of situations. But it always comes with a price whenever you’ve got to overtake.

Charles Leclerc said, as reported by RacingNews365.

The ground-effect era was similarly hated by the drivers, especially because of the porpoising. However, drivers did not fear for their safety in the car because of the regulations. Charles Leclerc asserted that the drivers paid a much higher price for attempting to overtake on the track now. Leclerc predicts that it will be very difficult to overtake and pull away as they did in the past regulations.

The price is a lot more costly than it was in the past. So that’s why I think it’s very, very difficult to make an overtake and then pull away like it was the case last year.

Charles Leclerc added.

Charles Leclerc reveals 2026 F1 cars “not the most fun” to drive

The cars and the regulations continue to receive mixed verdicts from the drivers in the paddock. Esteban Ocon had highlighted how the drivers had to learn how to drive F1 cars from scratch because of how different it was. Now, Charles Leclerc makes a brutal admission that he isn’t having the most fun driving the challengers of the 2026 regulations.

Charles Leclerc (via Getty)
Charles Leclerc (via Getty)

Regardless, Charles Leclerc is looking at the positives of the situation and managing expectations. Leclerc highlighted that the main fun was in developing the cars and making the system easier for Ferrari. With the new regulations, the 28-year-old is able to experience and experiment with different things that he couldn’t in the past.

It’s not the most fun I’ve had driving a car, but it’s the way it is. I find the fun in a different way. I think the challenge of really developing this whole new system is, in itself, something that I’ve enjoyed and something that I found that I find very interesting. So in that, I find some fun into just experiencing different things and things that might have not worked in the past.

Charles Leclerc noted.

Certainly, it is too soon to give up on the new regulations and consider them a total failure. The first race of the season is less than a month away, and the initial few races will clearly showcase how the regulations are. For now, all teams and drivers are focusing solely on development and preparing for the massive challenge in the upcoming races.

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